by Donna Hill
* * *
Craig listened to her steady breathing while he gently played with a strand of her hair between his fingers. He could easily get too caught up with this woman. He’d thought that if he had sex with her then whatever it was that was making him crazy would burn itself out. If anything it had only intensified his longing. And it was far from just sex. He’d made love to her the way he’d wanted to truly make love to a woman for longer than he cared to remember—not just with his body but with his soul. That reality left him with an unfamiliar feeling of vulnerability. This woman had opened a door inside him and stepped in. He angled his head and watched her sleep. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. Be careful what you wish for was the last thought that floated through his head before he drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Jewel felt herself slowly rising from the depths of satiated sleep. A comforting warmth was wrapped around her. It took a moment for her to piece together the odd weight that she felt across her thighs and realize that it was Craig’s muscled leg, and that the added heat she felt radiated from him. Her heart leaped. They were so close, chest to breasts. He held her tightly against him, as if in his dreams he was afraid he might lose her if he let go.
That’s what she told herself, what she would like to believe, if only for the moment. She’d forgotten what it felt like to be ravished at night and wake up with the man who had delighted in her body in the morning. She’d forgotten how decadently good that sticky feeling between her legs could be, or that subtle ache on the inside of her thighs where they’d been widened and bent to accommodate the man who rode between them.
She didn’t want to make more out of what had happened between her and Craig than what it was—two adults who were attracted to each other had had sex. That was it. Her lashes brushed his chest. She inhaled his scent. Her clit twitched. That’s all it was. She couldn’t expect more. But for now she would make believe that this was forever. She closed her eyes, drew in a long breath of him and drifted back to sleep.
* * *
Craig dressed as quietly as he could so as not to wake Jewel. He wanted to stay and say to hell with the demands of his day and just lie with Jewel. If only it was that simple. He buttoned his jeans then pulled his sweater over his head. He stood over her for a moment and watched her sleep. It took all of his willpower not to crawl into bed with her and find his way back between the warmth of her thighs. Usually by this time he would have been long gone with a kiss and a promise to call. He shook his head and stepped into his loafers. This was temporary. They both knew and understood that, but a place deep in his soul kept whispering forever. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. She sighed softly and curled tighter into sleep. Craig tiptoed out and shut the door quietly behind him.
Chapter 6
Jewel blinked against the early dawn light that slid between the slats in the vertical blinds. Languidly she stretched and turned on her side, expecting to see Craig. The spot next to her was empty, the sheet already cooling. She pushed herself to a sitting position and pulled the sheet up to her chin, drawing her knees to her chest. Her eyes, accustomed now to the light, moved slowly around the space. The only indication that she hadn’t slept alone was the faint scent of Craig that still lingered on her skin.
She blew out a breath. Why should she have expected more? Wine and great sex. There was no reason to think that he thought any more of their encounter than that. No explanation needed, although it would have been nice, the decent thing to do.
For a moment she shut her eyes, and her mind flooded with the night they’d shared, the way her body had responded to his every touch, the power she felt in what she was able to do to him. Her body still throbbed.
Jewel tossed the sheet aside and swung her feet to the floor. No point in lying there. She had a full day in front of her. She quickly got dressed and attempted to ease back into the main house without running into Minerva. That little maneuver didn’t go over very well. Minerva walked into the kitchen as Jewel inched through the front door. She felt like an errant teen coming home after curfew when Minerva’s censoring gaze collided with hers.
“Good morning,” Minerva said with a quick once-over. “You’re up early.” Her slippers whispered across the floor with her footfalls. “Breakfast?”
“Um, sure.” She followed Minerva into the kitchen and took a seat at the counter.
“Coffee?” Minerva asked over her shoulder.
“Yes, thanks.”
Minerva put on the coffeemaker. Jewel rooted around in the fridge for the bag of cinnamon and raisin bagels and put two in the toaster. She had a feeling the inevitable conversation would need more than coffee. She plopped down on the stool at the counter and waited. But she didn’t have to wait long.
“I saw Mr. Lawson’s car outside last night,” she said casually, while keeping her back to Jewel.
“Mmm-hmm, stopped by to drop off the new contract.”
“Took a while.”
Jewel bit back a smile. “Really?”
“I couldn’t sleep, and I noticed the lights on in the cottage. Had to be after one in the morning. When I got up to get some warm milk about four, the lights were off, but his car was still parked.”
The bagels popped up and so did Jewel. She plucked them from the double toaster and put them on plates. “Butter, jelly, cream cheese?” she asked sweetly.
Minerva swung around with her hands planted on her hips. Her eyes narrowed. “Are you going to tell me or are you going to make me beg?”
Jewel sputtered a laugh. “Fine. He spent the night. Happy?”
A slow smile spread across Minerva’s mouth. “Well, it’s about damned time!”
“Minerva!”
“What? It’s true. You’re a young woman, and he’s a handsome man. And I think he likes you.”
Jewel sat up straighter. “Really?”
“Of course. I can tell these kinds of things.”
“Well, it’s only temporary. He’ll go back to London or LA when all of this is done.”
“Never heard of long-distance relationship?”
“Minerva. I’m not thinking that far ahead. And I’ve been down the long-distance-relationship road,” she said, thinking of her time with Simon. “I know how difficult it can be, especially when work comes first.” She lathered her bagel with cream cheese.
“Make the most of the time you have,” she said sagely. “You deserve some happiness in your life. And I like the glow.”
“Glow?”
“Yes,” she teased, “the glow in your eyes. I haven’t seen it in a very long time. It looks good on you.”
Jewel lowered her head. She did feel different. Alive. Her body still strummed from her night with Craig. But the reality was, it was just sex, and the fact that he was gone when she awoke spoke volumes.
* * *
Craig stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He padded into his bedroom and went straight for his cell phone. He should have left a note for Jewel. But to be honest, his emotions were scrambled. He hadn’t expected to feel the way he did—connected. And at first he didn’t know how he wanted to handle it. They’d more or less agreed that this was a commitment-free thing. As far as he knew, Jewel still felt the same way. Now, he wasn’t so sure that he did. What he did know for sure was that he wanted to see her again.
He picked up his cell phone and searched for her name in his contacts and tapped the dial icon. The phone rang and rang then went to voice mail. He started to hang up. Maybe it was a sign. Maybe she saw his name and decided not to answer. Maybe he should leave a message anyway. He pushed out a breath.
“Good morning. It’s Craig. Um, sorry I didn’t say anything before I left. Needed to get an early start, and you were sleeping so peacefully. Didn’t want to wake you.” He paused. “U
h, listen, Norm will be by later this afternoon, but, uh, I was wondering if you weren’t busy this evening, maybe we could have dinner.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “So, when you get a minute, give me a call and let me know. Enjoy your day. And... I enjoyed last night,” he added softly. “Take care.” He disconnected the call and tossed the phone on the bed. “What are you doing?” he chastised himself before walking off to get dressed.
* * *
After her counseling session with Minerva, Jewel finished her breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen. She had some baking orders to fill. The order details were in her phone. It was then that she realized that she didn’t have it. She went to look for it and found it on the table in the hall. She must have left it there when Craig arrived last night.
When she tapped in her pass code, she saw that she had a message. Her pulse quickened. She went to her messages. It was from Craig. Holding her breath she listened to his message once, then again. Her beaming smile could have lit up a dark room. He wanted to see her again—tonight, for dinner. A date.
A wave of giddy delight rushed through her veins, and she practically skipped across the room and plopped down on the couch. Her hand shook ever so slightly as she tapped Return Call on her phone. He picked up on the third ring.
“Jewel,” His voice dropped an octave. “Hello.”
“Hi.” Her stomach fluttered with warmth. “I got your message. Thanks for being so considerate and letting me sleep.”
“I watched you for a while,” he admitted.
“And?”
“And I started to crawl back in bed with you.”
“You could have...”
“I’ll remember that for next time.”
Next time! She allowed herself to breathe. “Um, about tonight...”
“Yes?”
“What time were you thinking?”
“How’s seven?”
“Perfect.”
“I’ll see you at seven.”
“Okay.”
“And this time I’ll be sure I have a place in mind.”
They both laughed.
“See you then,” she said.
“See you.”
Jewel put the phone down and rested her head back against the cushions of the couch. She closed her eyes, and a smile moved across her mouth. What are you doing, girl? Whatever it was, it felt good, and for now, that’s all that mattered.
Chapter 7
As promised, Norm, the technical director, along with two other members of the movie crew, arrived at Jewel’s home at noon.
“Good to finally meet you, Ms. Fontaine,” Norm said. “We promise not to get in your way—or at least as little as possible.” He smiled. “The plan is to take a bunch of exterior shots and shots of the first floor and of course the surrounding property. A couple of hours, tops.”
“Not a problem. Where do you want to start?”
“Why don’t we start inside, so we can get out of your way as soon as possible.”
“Sure. I’ll show you around.” She took them on a quick tour of the main level: living area, den, kitchen, a small bedroom that at one time had been the servants’ quarters, bathroom and the back veranda.
Norm took notes as they walked, with his two assistants trailing dutifully behind them. He turned to Jewel. “I know I said the main level, but is it possible to see the rooms upstairs to give us more options?”
Her stomach knotted. The last thing she wanted was for her father to become upset with strangers tramping around the house. His setbacks were becoming more pronounced and prolonged, and she didn’t want to do anything to make it worse.
“Well, why don’t you get started down here? I have to make some arrangements.”
He looked at her curiously.
“My father...isn’t well,” she said in response to his look.
He held up his hands. “Hey, not a problem. I don’t want to cause an issue.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks.” He turned to his assistants. “Okay, fellas, let’s get started. I want multiple shots of everything on this floor from various angles, full shots to close-ups.”
Jewel went in search of Minerva, who was just finishing up her father’s bathing. She quietly explained what the crew wanted to do, and Minerva assured her that she would keep Augustus occupied in his room—which was to remain off-limits.
“Hopefully it won’t take long,” Jewel said.
Minerva clasped her shoulder. “It will be fine.”
Jewel crossed the room and went to sit on the side of her father’s bed.
“Hey, Daddy,” she said softly. She took his hand in hers. “How are you today?”
He blinked and slowly focused on her. He smiled. “Jewel. My Jewel.” He squeezed her fingers. “Beautiful as ever. Just finished my bath,” he said in a teasing tone.
Jewel grinned. “I bet you enjoyed it.”
“Where’s that young girl that works with you? Haven’t seen her in a while.” He frowned in concentration.
Jewel angled her head. “Mai Ling?”
“Is that her name?”
“Yes, Mai Ling. She doesn’t work with me anymore.”
“Who?” His gaze grew cloudy. He began to fidget.
Jewel gently patted his hand. “Mai Ling doesn’t work with me anymore.”
He stared at her. “I’m ready for my lunch.”
Jewel sighed. She leaned over and kissed his forehead. “Sure thing, Daddy.” She turned to Minerva and hoped the heartbreak that she felt wasn’t reflected in her expression. “I’ll let you know when they are ready to come up,” she said softly. Minerva nodded.
Jewel returned to the main level and advised Norm that when they were ready she would take them upstairs.
She sat quietly on the sidelines, in total fascination, while the team took innumerable pictures. When Norm said, “from every angle,” that was exactly what he got. What made the process more real was that before every final shot, a digital image was printed first so that they could be sure of every angle.
It was one thing to live and walk through your space day after day, year after year and basically not pay things much attention beyond cleaning and maybe updating furniture or draperies. It was a completely different experience to see your home through the eyes of a lens, the eyes of others.
The very unique features of her home came to life for the camera—the gleam of the wood floors, the intricacies of the crown molding, the banisters and inlays in the walls, the majesty of the sliding doors, built-in cherrywood cabinets, cathedral ceilings and crystal chandeliers. Over the years Jewel and her father had worked hard at maintaining the original woodwork, nooks and crannies right down to the claw-foot tubs and wall sconces. Of course, all of the internal workings of the house had been upgraded, but on the surface the home was very much a reflection of what it looked like more than one hundred years ago.
This home was her legacy. Allowing the filming, although intrusive, had bought her the time and money that she needed to hold on to that legacy until she could find a way to ensure a steady and substantial flow of capital. Her father and her grandparents and great-grandparents deserved to have what they’d earned maintained.
* * *
The photography took a little more than three hours. Norm thanked Jewel for her time and even left her with some of the photographs on his way out.
“You have a fabulous place. A lot of history here,” he said and took a final look around.
“Thank you.”
“Good to meet you. But I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”
“I’m sure.” She stood on the threshold and watched as the team piled back into their vehicle and drove off. Jewel shut the door with a satisfied feeling. She’d made the right decision,
and she was starting to believe that everything would work out.
She checked the time on the antique grandfather clock that resided in the foyer. Three hours before Craig would be there to take her to dinner. A shiver of anticipation fluttered through her, and a flash of their night together shocked her senses. There was no guarantee of how many more nights like that they would share together, but if she had anything to do with it, tonight would be another one.
* * *
Craig was on his way out of the production suite en route to his room when Milan stopped him in the hallway.
“Hey, Craig.”
“Milan.” He stopped in front of her.
“I was on my way to find you.”
“Problem?” He shifted his iPad from one hand to the other.
“No. Not at all. Actually, I was hoping that we could make some time before shooting to...talk.”
He tapped back the groan that threatened to escape. “I could order something up to the suite. We could chat there,” he said, giving Milan a graceful way out—without him saying no—and him the distance that he wanted to maintain.
“Are you afraid to be alone with me?” she asked, taking a step to close the distance between them.
His mouth quirked with a sardonic grin. “Why would I?” His lids lowered over his eyes.
“You tell me. You’ve done everything short of becoming invisible any time I’m in the vicinity. I want us to be able to work together—to be friends.”
“I thought that’s what we were doing. I’m always available to listen to what my actors have to say.” He stared at her. “Should I order up something to the suite?”
Her full lips drew into a single line. “Some other time.”
He gave a slight shrug. “Not a problem.” He breezed by her, covered the hall in long strides and entered his room. He was pretty sure the hot spots he felt on his back were daggers Milan was throwing.
